Tornjak

Croatian Mountain Dog, Hrvatski pas Planinac

The Tornjak is a livestock guardian, these dogs do not herd their charges, but instead protect them. This breed usually works with sheep; in fact their name is derived from tor, the Croatian word for sheep-pen.

History of the Tornjak

Origin

History

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia

​Middle Ages

Dogs very similar to today’s Tornjak have guarded sheep in Croatia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina for centuries. They have been known since at least 1062, when it was first mentioned in writings. As the numbers of sheep have lessened, so has the need for livestock guardians, by the 1970s the breed had become extremely rare – some have even stated it was extinct. Careful breeding programs were required to revive (or reconstruct) the breed to the dogs we know today.